Enemy Mine
by toby7400
Summary: Ahsoka and Ventress are stranded on a hostile planet and must work together to survive.  Inspired by the film of the same name.
1. Finally Home

Enemy Mine

Prologue; Finally Home

Obi-Wan and Anakin walked up the steps to the Jedi Temple. The day before, they'd abruptly been asked to return to Coruscant by the Council, specifically Master Windu. "What do you think this is about?" Anakin casually asked his former master.

"We'll have to wait and see." Obi-Wan answered, a bit tired of answering the same question.

When the two Jedi reached the entrance, Mace Windu was waiting. "Welcome back, Master Kenobi…Skywalker."

"Good to see you in person again, Master Windu," Obi-Wan said, "Now, just what is this about?"

"There's been a development in the Outer Rim that we felt you should know about," Windu said, "Ahsoka's has been found." Obi-Wan and Anakin's shock was great enough to be felt throughout the bottom floor of the temple. Before either could respond, however, Windu continued, "That's not all…we have reason to believe she may have been working for the other side."

Anakin chuckled until he noticed Windu's stern scowl. "Oh…you're serious…Are you insane? This is Ahsoka Tano were talking about!"

"Anakin, please-" Obi-Wan started, trying to play the peacemaker.

"She was found on Garthim VI, sobbing over the body of Asajj Ventress." Windu stated shortly, "Fourteen months after disobeying you and disappearing. What are we to think?"

"Wait, Ventress is dead?" Obi-Wan asked

"This is ridiculous, there could be a thousand reasons for how that happen." Anakin said, wanting to defend his lost Padawan.

"That's why you two are here; The Council feels it'd be best if the two of you were the first to talk to Ahsoka about what happened." Windu stated, with slight irritation.

"Where is she?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"In the brig of the _Indestructible_." Windu answered casually

"The brig?" Anakin almost shouted

"We're using precaution, young Skywalker, a principle that's always seemed foreign to you."

Before Anakin could snap back, Obi-Wan gently seized his former Padawan and pulled him back the way they'd come with a quick 'Thank you, master' over his shoulder. The two made their way back to their shuttle and began the trip into orbit.

#*#*#

"It's because he doesn't like me," Anakin griped, "He's hated me from the first time I walked into the Council Chambers, and now he's trying to get Snips put in jail."

"Master Windu doesn't hate you, Anakin, he's just slow to trust," Obi-Wan said, trying not to think of how Windu had scowled at a twelve year old Anakin. The two Jedi were being led to Ahsoka's holding cell. "The circumstances are rather suspicious."

Anakin froze in his tracks. "You think he's right? You think Snips is a damn Sith?"

"Oh course not, but if we're going to clear Ahsoka's name, we'll have to prepare for all the accusations she'll face." Anakin seemed to consider this and they continued down the hall, "Besides, Darth Snips would just sound absurd."

At last, the two Jedi arrived outside one of the cells. The Trooper escorting them punched several buttons and the door opened to reveal a black-eyed Ahsoka clad in crudely made fur cloths. Seeing who her visitors were, the young Togruta's eyes light up.

"Skyguy! Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka shouted pulling her friends into a hug. The guard began to reach for his blaster on reflex, but stopped when Obi-Wan waved him off. The Padawan released her friends and held at them at arm's length. "It's so great to see you guys again," she said, blinking away a tear.

"It's good to see you too, Snips" Anakin said with a smile, one that disappeared when he noticed Ahsoka's bruised face, "What happened to your eye?"

Ahsoka's expression turned bitter, "Just the beginning of the 'warm' welcome back I've been getting." The Togruta said through clenched teeth. "What's going on, anyway? Everyone's treating me like a criminal."

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged looks, silently agreeing that Obi-Wan should explain, "Ahsoka, the Council seems to think you're disappearance and the way you were found is a bit…curious."

"What?" Ahsoka's expression matched Anakin's upon hearing the news, "What's curious about it? What'd I do?"

"That's what we're here to learn." Anakin stated softly. Ahsoka glanced from one Jedi to the other apprehensively, "Relax, Snips. This isn't an interrogation. We'll just sit down, you tell your story and we'll get all this cleared up."

Obi-Wan noticed Ahsoka only seemed to relax slightly, but nevertheless the three sat on the cell's opposing bunks and the young Padawan began her story.


	2. Another Happy Landing

Another Happy Landing

Fourteen Months Earlier

Ahsoka sat the cockpit of her Delta-7, bored. Around her were four Torrents, with four more up ahead. As Ahsoka steered her fighter almost subconsciously, the young Padawan supposed that patrol duty wasn't the worst assignment she'd ever had, but it was high on the list.

After a few minutes, a holographic image of Anakin appeared. "How are things going, Snips?"

"Like watching ice melt, master." Ahsoka droned, wishing something would happen to break up the monotony.

"Well, just keep an eye out an-"

"Commander Tano, we're got unidentified vessels straight ahead." The squadron leader suddenly announced.

"Snips, you'd better get back to the _Resolute_, until we can figure out who that is." Anakin commanded.

Ahsoka's hand inched toward the 'Disconnect' button on her holo-projector. "Sorry master, there seems to be some interference."

"I mean, Ahsoka! Get back-"_Click!_

"Sorry, Skyguy," Ahsoka said sweetly, then turned her attention to her squadron, "C'mon guys, let's check this out."

"You sure, miss?" the squadron leader, Ram, asked, "This is the Garthim system, mostly unexplored by either side."

"We're just gonna make a quick detour, it'll be fine."

"You're the boss," Ram sighed with resignation. With that, nine ships steered toward Garthim VI.

#*#*#

Meanwhile, Ventress was pinching the brig of her nose, "What do you mean 'we're lost'?"

"It's seems there was a slight miscalculation, ma'am" One of the droid pilots answered, oblivious to Ventress' aggravated tone, "We intended to jump to coordinates 73298-"_BOOM!_ Ventress vented her frustrations on the offending droid, and by extension it's ship, with a quick burst from her Fanblade.

As the aspiring Sith contemplated similar retribution against the other droid fighters, one of them suddenly spoke up. "Ma'am nine republic fighters are approaching!"

"Go and deal with them." Ventress commanded. After the droid ships left, she steered her Fanblade around to flank the Clone pilots. Shooting at living targets would be much more satisfying.

#*#*#

As Ahsoka and company approached, five droid fighters suddenly rushed up to meet them. The young Togruta and her comrades immediately evaded, scattering as they did. Ahsoka maneuvered behind one of her attackers, dispatching it with a quick burst her blasters.

A sudden beeping informed the Padawan that another fighter was now on her tail. "Ram, I'm bringing one of the Clankers to you."

"Roger."

The droid fighter continued to tail Ahsoka, firing wildly at her, as the Padawan maneuvered around and toward her squadron leader. A handful of shots struck her Delta, but did little damage. Before long, Ahsoka could see Ram moving toward her. She lined her ship up to be moving directly at the Torrent, and at the last second dipped under it.

"Surprise, Clanker!" Ram shouted, as he fired, blasting the enemy ship to debris.

Ahsoka checked with the rest of the squadron and it seemed the other three ships had been taken care of. _Too easy_, Ahsoka thought with pride. As if in response, three of the Torrents suddenly turned into fireballs. "Hostile incoming, right-_Shhhh_!" Ahsoka looked to her right to see a fresh fireball, and a fast approaching fan shaped fighter. _Ventress!_

Ahsoka and the four remaining Torrents quickly moved to attack the Fanblade. Ventress steered toward a nearby planet, Garthim VI. Two clone pilots moved in behind her, only for the assassin to briefly kill her engines, allowing them to pass her. In moments both were destroyed.

"Spread out!" Ahsoka shouted to her two remaining pilots, "We'll take the witch from three sides!"

Ram and the other pilot did as orders and soon the three of them had Ventress in a crossfire, with Ahsoka in the middle, Ram on the right, and the last pilot on the left, several of their shots tearing holes in the Fanblade's namesake. The hateful assassin wasn't going down that easily, however.

Pushing her damaged ship as hard as she could, Ventress maneuvered to the left, firing on the clone pilot. As her target went up in smoke, Ventress lined herself up with the final two and moved on Ahsoka firing determinedly.

Ahsoka watched in horror as the Fanblade came at her, its blasts already tearing into her Delta. Before a fatal blow could be landed, however, Ram's Torrent suddenly appeared between the two fighters.

"Buggin' out, miss." With that Ram was incinerated.

Ahsoka watched Ventress move to avoid the explosion and quickly gave chase, hungry for revenge. _Not revenge_, she told herself, _justice._

The Togruta finally caught up to her enemy very close to the planet's atmosphere. Neither ship was in any shape for combat, but Ahsoka was certain she could end the dogfight quickly.

Ahsoka fired on the Fanblade, blasting the bottom leg right off. Her feeling of triumph as the Fanblade sank toward the planet was quickly replaced by horror when she realized the leg was now twirling its way toward her.

The young Padawan attempted to evade it, but the damage her ship had already suffered made maneuvering difficult. The debris crashed into the Jedi fighter, slamming Ahoka's head against the control panel and sending her ship spiraling toward the planet right after Ventress.

As the abused fighter went through the atmosphere and quickly descended toward Garthim VI's surface, Ahsoka desperately tried to regain control and get the nose of her ship up.

With the ground fast approaching, the Padawan was finally able to stop the Delta's spiral and lift the nose, though she was still going far too fast.

"This is gonna be rough!" Ahsoka shouted to no one, as even her R2 unit has damaged. The fighter slammed into the ground, the force of the impact thrusting Ahsoka against her restraints and skidded along for several hundred yards, bouncing and jolting as it did.

Finally, the ruined fighter came to a stop. Ahsoka was bleeding from a gash on the side of her head, was badly bruised in several places, and her throat was sore, though she didn't remember screaming.

As the young Padawan regained her senses, she noticed a small fire in front of her, one that was fast spreading. "STANG!" Ahsoka Force Pushed the ruined canopy of the cockpit off and cut herself free from the ship's restraints with her lightsaber. As fast as her aching body would allow, the Togruta ran from the wreckage. Just as it occurred to Ahsoka to use Force Run, the Delta erupted into an orange fireball, throwing the Padawan flat on her face.

Ahsoka slowly rose to her feet and turned toward the seven million credit bonfire that had recently been her Delta-7. "Master's gonna kill me." She signed.

#*#*#

The Brig of the _Indestructible_

"The important thing is you made out alive, Snips." Anakin said reassuringly, "What happened next?"

"Well, I took a few hours to rest and make sure none of my bones were broken." Ahsoka answered. "Then I decided to take a look around. The first thing I could see was smoke from Ventress' crash site. I just hoped she wasn't dead…yet."


	3. An Unwanted Ally

An Unwanted Ally

The Jedi Council Chambers

"Said yourself that Ventress was too powerful for any Jedi to defeat alone, you did. Why then did you go after her?" Master Yoda asked quizzically.

After Ahsoka's talk with Obi-Wan and Anakin aboard the _Indestructible_, her two friends had reported her story to the Council. While it was mostly well received, there were parts they wanted more details about. She now stood in the center of the Council Chambers, Obi-Wan and Anakin standing supportively by her side.

The young Padawan cleared her through before answering. "Well, given all that had happened…I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"Our race can be reckless at times," Shaak Ti agreed, "It stems from our predatory nature." As Yoda conceded the point, Ahsoka flashed the other Togruta a grateful smile.

"What I'm curious about is how the battle went." Fisto put in.

Ahsoka thought back to her first day on Garthim VI before answering. "I moved toward the crash site, and from there trailed after Ventress. Soon afterward, we learned there might be other things to worry about."

#*#*#

Garthim VI

Ahsoka made her way across the rocky terrain toward the pillar of smoke in the distance. She moved at a fairly moderate pace, hoping to save energy for the coming duel with Ventress. Fortunately, the Torgruta seemed to have crashed at Garthim VI's dawn; she had all day.

After a few hours, Ahsoka came across the wreckage of the Fanblade. She cautiously examined the crash site, finding no trace of Ventress. Upon further examination, Ahsoka noticed tracks leading away toward a forest of black-wooded trees.

Ahsoka followed the trail as quietly as possible, eventually coming to a riverbed, freezing when she say a cloaked figure standing with their back to her. Crouching low to the ground, Ahsoka slowly drew her lightsaber and crept up on the Sith. When she was only a few meters away, the young Togruta rushed at her enemy, igniting her lightsaber.

Ventress spun on her heel and blocked the attack.

"I sensed you coming a mile away, whelp!" shouted Ventress as she swung at Ahsoka with her other lightsaber. The Padawan jumped back away from the attack and blocked another swing, before force pushing Ventress back. Having regained the initiative, Ahsoka rushed at Ventress and went to slash her midriff.

Seeing her enemy coming at her, Ventress shrugged off her cloak and tossed it at the Togruta. Ahsoka batted the cloak away from her face in time to see a scowling assassin about to trisect her. Ahsoka swung forward with her own lightsaber, blocking both off her enemy's weapons. The two fighters pushed each other's weapons for several long seconds, staring one another down over the glowing blades.

Suddenly a loud crash caused both warriors to flinch violently. Still holding their lightsabers against each other, they looked in the direction the noise had come from. Further rumbling could be heard for several seconds. Suddenly, a tree was batted aside to reveal one of Garthim VI's native inhabitants. The creature stood taller than a Wookie, walking on six insect like legs, with one hand like a crab's claw and the other ending in three clawed fingers. The creature's body, exempt the stomach, was covered by a black exoskeleton.

The Garthim let out a monstrous roar, which the Jedi and Sith answered with frightened screams. Their erstwhile duel forgotten, both fighters leapt back and fell into their respective combat stances.

The Garthim charged the intruders, deciding to attack Ahsoka first. The Padawan dodged the creature's crab claw, flinching at the deafening snap, and swung her lightsaber to sever its arm. Ahsoka eyes bulged in shock in her blade did only superficial damage.

Ahsoka only just came out of her shock to see the crab claw being swung at her. The Togruta relaxed her body and jumped back as the arm struck her, causing her to land at Ventress' feet with only the wind knocked out of her.

The Garthim charged again, bringing its arms down to crush both intruders. Ahsoka managed to only just roll out of the way, while Ventres lithely jumped to the side. Spotting a gap in the Garthim warrior's armor, the Sith assassin drove her left lightsaber into the joint of its three fingered arm. The Garthim screamed in pain and yanked its arm away, accidently severing its own hand.

The Garthim turned away from Ventress, and consequently toward Ahsoka. Seeing the assassin's success, Ahsoka eyed the creature's exposed stomach and decided to follow suit. She rushed forward and stabbed her saber into the Garthim's vulnerable flesh. As the Garthim roared, Ahsoka pulled her saber up at an angle, spilling the creature's organs.

The Garthim stumbled for a bit, Jedi and Sith alike watching it cautiously, and finally collapsed on its back.

Ahsoka stared at the fallen creature, the full gravity of her situation finally dawned on her. She was stranded on a hostile planet with only her lightsaber, which wasn't as much an advantage as it usually was, and her only companion was a sworn enemy. Ahsoka would have thought on this further, but was brought out of her reverie when she spotted a red glow in her peripheral vision.

Ashoka turned to see Ventress, sabers drawn, advancing on her. The Togruta went into her fighting stance, but held her hand out the way she'd seen Obi-Wan do when he needed to calm a situation. "Really, Ventress? Really? You still want to do this?"

Ventress raised a grey eyebrow, "You shot me down, then came to finish me off and _you're_ gripping at _me_ about not letting things go?"

"Well…that's true, but it's not the point!" Ahsoka said, if she had hair, she'd be tearing it out, "Look, you hate me and I hate you, agreed?"

"Agreed."

"But we're stranded here together; can't we at least be civil?" Ahsoka asked hopefully.

Ventress extinguished her lightsabers and gestured over Ahsoka's shoulder. "Fine, you can have that half of the planet, I take the other half." With that, the Sith turned on her heel and headed off.

"We'll have a better chance at surviving if we stick together, Ventress?" the grey-skinned assassin didn't respond. Ahsoka heard more rumbling in the trees and ran after the Sith, shouting "You didn't say 'no'!"

#*#*#

The Council Chambers

"You went after Ventress?" Windu asked, eyebrows raised, tone slightly accusing.

"Like I said, the chances of staying alive were better with someone else around." Ahsoka answered, "Besides, this way I wouldn't have to look over my shoulder for her."

Mace Windu shrugged in agreement, "So then what happened? You two have a campfire?"

"…sort of."

#*#*#

The Forest

Ahsoka followed Ventress through the forest, never taking her eyes off the Sith. Eventually, Ventress stopped in a clearing and examined the area. "Flat terrain in every direction," the assassin mused, more to herself then Ahsoka, "Fairly thick foliage, near a water source, this will do."

The assassin sat down laying the few supplies she'd been able to salvage from her Fanblade and stared daggers at Ahsoka. The young Togruta stared back as she sat down herself. She soon noticed the diming light as well as the fast dropping temperature. Suddenly very aware of how little she was wearing, Ahsoka slowly stood and turned to her enemy, "Looks like it's gonna be cold tonight, we should make a fire."

"Who's 'we'? You have a womp-rat in your pocket?" Ventress sneered

Ahsoka let out an irritated sigh, and stood up. She walked up to a nearby and ignited her lightsaber. In an eye blink Ventress was on her feet, both lightsabers at the ready. Ahsoka held her hands up clutching her own saber with only two fingers. "I gonna cut firewood." the aggravated Togruta said, "Take. A kriffing. Breath." Ventress silently sat back down, but keep a distrustful gaze on Ahsoka the entire time she busied herself cutting wood.

An hour later, the two Force users at on opposite ends of the fire, the tension thick enough to be cut with a vibroblade. Ahsoka had scooted as close as she could to the fire, hugging her knees and wishing her cloak hadn't gone up in smoke with her Delta-7. Ventress had her cloak wrapped tightly around herself, a box of supposedly edible rations from her Fanblade in hand.

Ahsoka couldn't help but glance enviously at the Sith. As her stomach began to growl, the Padawan turned toward her enemy. "Hey…can I have a bit of that?" Ventress slowly turned toward the Jedi then back to her small meal without saying a word. "Oh come on! You don't have a rotten sithspawn all the time!"

Ventress' eye twitched in irritation, but she couldn't work up the energy to disembowel the Jedi brat. Seeing a large slug crawling on a rock next to her, Ventress grabbed a nearby stick, impaled the unfortunate creature and tossed it in Ahsoka's general direction.

Ahsoka caught the stick and grimaced at the slimy creature at the end. _Don't look a gift Tauntaun in the mouth_, she told herself. The Padawan roasted the slug over the fire, and looked up at the stars with a sigh, thinking of the people she'd rather be across a fire from; Anikan, Obi-Wan, Rex, Barriss, though she'd rather be seated next to the last one.

"Sometime soon, we'll get picked up, one side or the other." Ahsoka said softly, Ventress snorted in response, "A little hope never hurt anyone, Ventress."

Ventress turned to look at the Padawan like she was a particularly naïve child. "The Jedi abandoned my mentor, and he was a great asset to their precious order. You think they'll waste time or resources looking for a runt like you?"

"Master would never abandon me." Ahsoka stated, "Besides, the Seps would be stupid not to look for you, you're the best warrior they have."…_wait, did I just complement Ventress?_

Ahsoka's unintended complement seemed to have the same effect on Ventress. "Ah…thanks." The rest of the night passed in silence.

#*#*#

The Council Chambers

Thinking about that first night with Ventress raised a question in Ahsoka's mind. "Masters…why did it take so long to find me?" Glancing around the room, she could tell no one that expected that question. "The _Resolute_ was right in the same sector, yet it was a year and two months before Aayla's force just stumbled on us."

Ki-Adi-Mundi was the first to speak, "Please try to understand, Padawan. Shortly after you're disappearance the Separatists began a new offensive on all fronts. We simply couldn't spare the time or resources-"

"Looking for a runt like me?" Ahsoka snapped. As a stunned silence hung in the air, the Padawan rubbed her left arm with her right nervously, "I'm sorry…I…" The Padawan simply turned and left. Anakin went after her, leaving a shocked Obi-Wan and Council.


	4. Settling In

Settling In

The Forest

Ahsoka woke up cold and sore, lifting a hand to block the early morning sun. Glancing over the ash from the night's fire, she saw that Ventress was still asleep, her hood blocking the sunlight. _The witch probably won't notice a ration bar or two missing_, the Padawan thought. Stepping lightly, Ahsoka walked over to Ventress' side of the small camp. As she reached for the box of rations, the young Togruta glanced cautiously at the Sith. Ventress was still sleeping; Ahsoka was surprised to see that her enemy looked rather peaceful.

And helpless.

Ahsoka took a few steps toward Ventress until she was standing over the assassin. The Padawan drew her lightsaber and held it toward Ventress. All she had to do was ignite the weapon.

_I should do it_, thought Ahsoka, her thumb hovering over the button. The Togruta stood like that for several long seconds, several reasons she should kill the Sith running through her head. But it wasn't the Jedi way.

Ahsoka put her weapon back on her belt and went to steal her breakfast. Once she touched the box the ration bars were in, however, a loud ring sounded, starting the Togruta. An instant later, she was on her back with Ventress' foot on her chest, and lightsaber in her face.

"Take it easy, just getting a little snack," Ahsoka said raising her arms in submission.

Ventress force pulled the box into her hand and extinguished her saber. "Catch another slug if you're hungry." She said turning away from the eye rolling Togruta. As Ventress sat down, she noticed a slimy worm crawling by. "Maybe you can flavor it with slime." she added.

_Should of killed her._

#*#*#

The Jedi Temple

Ahsoka stormed through the halls of the Temple with no destination in mind, Anakin on her heels. "Ahsoka, wait!" Skywalker said as he gently grabbed his Padawan and turned her to face him, "Please, just liste-"

"How could they just leave me there?" Ahsoka shouted, stabbing her finger back the way they'd come, "How could _you_ just leave me?"

As Ahsoka started to cry, Anakin noticed several people staring at them. "What the kriff are you looking at?" he shot back as he gently led his padawan into the nearest room, snapping 'get out!' at the two Padawans meditating inside. Once they were alone, Anakin turned to the Togruta.

"It's true, Ahsoka. We abandoned you." Skywalker shamefully admitted, "For what it's worth, Obi-Wan and I never stopped lobbying for a search." Ahsoka turned away from her master, wiping angrily at her eyes.

"Can't imagine what it was like…" Anakin said, wanting to break the tense mood, "I wonder if Ventress had any moments like the one you mentioned…" Anakin wasn't sure what he getting at, but at least Ahsoka turned to look at him, "…you know, standing over you…with a lightsaber…"

Ahsoka huffed and cracked the faintest of grins, she'd never considered that. "Maybe in that first week, but probably not after our second run-in with the Garthim."

#*#*#

The Camp

"Rock Slug?" Ahsoka asked holding out a stick with two of the roasted creatures to Ventress. The Sith, who after three days had run out of ration bars, wrinkled her nose at the offer, "Ah c'mon, they're good, especially if you squeezes some worm slime on 'em." Ventress wretched in disgust, "Don't forget, you helped me acquire the taste." The Togruta squeezed the slime off a worm onto her meal as she spoke.

The two enemies had made a silent agreement; the southern half of the clearing was Ahsoka's, the northern half was Ventress', the area around the fire pit was neutral. Ahsoka could still think of a long list of people she'd rather be stranded with, but at least she could look at another face.

"I was joking when I said to eat slime," Ventress clarified, "Besides; tomorrow I'm going to improve the menu."

"More foraging? Yesterday was enough for me," Ahsoka said, with a blush. The day before, the two had experimented with several local fruits. Ahsoka remembered one berry in particular; it was delicious, but the next thing she knew the sky was filled with what appeared to be bats and someone was shouting 'By the Force, what are these damn animals?'

"Not foraging, hunting." Ventress said, liking the thought of food that wasn't semi-ripe fruit or a processed bar. She averted her eyes as the Padawan dug into the slimy roasted slugs.

"You finally gonna share some with me?" Ahsoka asked, smoothing out her bed of leaves. She still woke up cold, but it was softer then the ground.

"Perhaps if you agreed to act as bait." Ventress muttered. With that, the assassin wrapped her cloak around her body and pulled the hood over her head, which Ahsoka knew meant not to talk anymore.

#*#*#

The next morning, Ventress moved into the forest, ignoring Ahsoka's suggestion that they go together. The young assassin noticed the tracks of a creature the pair had seen on their second day; a sort of smaller, more agile looking Nerf. Ventress trailed the creature to a pond at the end of a small narrow canyon. The assassin climbed to the top of a nearby tree and waited silently for the semi-Nerf to leave the canyon.

After several minutes, the prey emerged, not knowing its life was about to be cut short. When the semi-Nerf was almost right under her, Ventress dropped out of her tree, severing the creature's head on the way down and rolling to her feet when she landed.

Smirking with satisfaction, Ventress force lifted the twitching body off the ground and began making her way back toward her and Ahsoka's camp.

Halfway back, the Sith stopped, sensing a presence. Letting the body drop, Ventress dropped into her fighting stance, lightsabers at the ready. _Not the brat_, Ventress thought, _it feels more like_-At that moment a Garthim burst out of the foliage charging the assassin.

The creature snapped at Ventress with its crab-crawl. The Sith sidestepped the attack and reflexively countered, only for her lightsabers to bounce off harmlessly. _Damn their shells!_ Ventress wasn't sure if she said the words aloud or thought them.

The Garthim brought its three fingered fist down and nearly crushed the assassin. Ventress jumped back and reached out to force chock the Garthim. As the creature grabbed futilely at its throat, Ventress smirked. _Two sides of meat for the price of one,_ she thought.

At that moment, a tree to Ventress' right was ripped from its roots. The Sith turned to see a massive three fingered fist flying toward her. The next thing Ventress knew, she was rolling across the ground, her face throbbing. Before she could recover, the new Garthim grabbed Ventress by the leg with its crab-claw. Ventress quickly blocked out the pain as the claw's sharp edges sank into her leg. The Sith clawed at the ground for anything solid within reach as the Garthim dragged her towards its companion.

Just as the Garthim reached for her with its other hand, a green bladed lightsaber twirled over Ventress and buried itself in the Garthim's vulnerable belly. The creature released Ventress with a shocked yell of pain. The Sith looked over her shoulder to see Ahsoka skidding to a halt and force pull her lightsaber back into her hand.

The Padawan's weapon flew over her for a second time and Ventress turned and force pushed the wounded Garthim as hard as she could. The hulking creature flipped through the air and slammed into a tree with a thunderous _Crack!_ The first Garthim hesitantly glanced at the two force users and then at its unconscious, possibly dead, comrade, then fled into the woods.

#*#*#

Ahsoka examined the wounds on Ventress' leg and glanced up at the Sith. Ventress nodded and braced herself, gripping the grass. The Trogruta ignited her lightsaber and gingerly cauterized the lacerations. The only sigh that Ventress felt any pain was a sharp intake of breath and her grip on the grass tightening.

As Ahsoka wrapped the wounds with bandages made from strips of Ventress' cloak, the assassin looked up at her. "You saved my life," the assassin breathed, "Why?"

"I couldn't just leave you to get killed." Ahsoka said turning toward her companion.

"I would of left you." Ventress pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Ahsoka sighed.


	5. Secrets and Revelations

Secrets and Revelations

The Jedi Temple

Anakin and Ahsoka casually walked through the halls of the temple, Anakin filling his Padawan in on the things she'd missed. "I actually tried to hire Bane to look for you at one point," he commented.

"Really?" Ahsoka asked wide eyed, "How'd that go?"

"Believe it or not, we almost had a deal worked out," Anakin said, "Say what you will about Bane, the sleemo is very business savvy."

"So what happened?"

"Grievous burst in and ruined the whole thing." Anakin lamented, "Next time I saw Bane was in the middle of a battle, not the best place to negotiate a job offer."

"That figures," Ahsoka sighed.

The two Jedi walked in silence for a few more minutes as Ahsoka took in the familiar sites within the temple. After a while, Anakin cleared his throat and spoke, "Your room was given to a youngling a few months again."

"What?" the young Togruta shouted snapping her head to her master, "What about my stuff?"

"They put that in storage." Anakin reassured her, "As soon as possible, we'll get you another room. Until then Barriss has offered to share her quarters with you."

Ahsoka felt her heart skip a beat, but covered it up, "That's nice of her."

"You two always did get along well," Anakin agreed, not noticing her reaction, "I should get back to the Council Chambers, we kind of left Obi-Wan in the Gundark's nest." Remembering her scene in front of the entire council, Ahsoka groaned, her head and shoulders sinking in shame. Anakin immediately tried to recant his words. "Hey, don't worry Snips. Obi-Wan's probably got it under control. Remember, he once reasoned with a giant bug queen. I'm just going to make sure he has it handled."

"I should go too," Ahsoka said looked up at her master.

"That's not necessary," Anakin said with a wave, "You just get some rest, catch up with Barriss, you deserve some leisure time. I'll be by in the morning."

That said, Anakin turned and made his way back toward the Council Chamber, hoping his former master was still in one piece. Ahsoka watched him leave for several moments, then turned and began the familiar trip to the other Padawan's room.

_Barriss._

#*#*#

The Camp

Ahsoka looked at the hide of the semi-Nerf Ventress had killed. After treating the Sith's wounds, Ahsoka had tried her hand at butchering the creature. The Togruta was surprised at how well she did, crediting it to her predatory nature. Afterward she'd washed the pelt and left it to dry. _No more cold mornings_, she thought with a smile. The Padawan cut two large holes into the pelt and pulled it on; the makeshift jacket smelled, but it was warm.

"Stylish" Ventress called from the fire, tending the meat, "You're the second best dressed being on this planet."

"Why think you, Ventress," Ahoska said with exaggerated class, "I dare say, this may start a new fashion."

Ventress rolled her eyes and turned back to the meat. The force users had decided to cook all the usable meat, that way what they didn't eat would be dried and last longer. The assassin shifted in her seat, accidently put pressure on her wounded leg and wincing.

"I could take care of the meat if you want," Ahsoka offered, feeling Ventress' discomfort.

"I don't need your help."

"Suit yourself," Ahsoka shrugged. The Togruta leaned back on her leaf-bed, looking up at the sky. As she stared, Ahsoka felt a sense of longing seep in.

"Still waiting for Master to swoop down and rescue you?" Ventress asked, though not as biting as Ahsoka would have expected.

"Maybe," Ahsoka looked back to her enemy turned companion. Ahsoka could feel homesickness welling up, and wouldn't let the Sith see her cry. The Padawan tried to think of anything else to talk about. "What…what are Grievous and Dooku like in private?"

Ahsoka could feel Ventress' surprise through the force. Finally, the assassin answered, "Well, there's really not much more to Dooku then you've seen. Grievous actually has a little more going on than people give him credit for though."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask about Greivous' deeper side, Ventress continued. "Does Kenobi ever talk about me?"

"Master Obi-Wan? Well, sometimes. He thinks you can be redeemed." Ahsoka answered.

"Foolish of him." Ventress scoffed, though her thoughts betrayed her.

A mischievous smile spread across Ahsoka's face. "Why are so obsessed with Obi-Wan?"

"I'm not obsessed; he's just a worthy opponent is all." Ventress said, absently stabbing at the meat as she spoke, "If I'm eventually going to beat him, I need to know all about him."

"Mmm hmmm," Ahoska nodded with a smile, "He _is_ a fearsome sight in combat, with those piercing green eyes and all."

"Their blue" Ventress corrected before she could catch herself. The Sith looked up from the fire to see Ahsoka's infuriating grin. "I don't need two working legs to kill you in your sleep."

"I didn't say anything." Ahsoka said lifting her hands in surrender, then sweetly added. "I sure hope Obi-Wan doesn't miss his dear too much."

Ventress' knuckles turned white and she gritted her teeth, but calmed her rage quickly. The assassin then turned to the Padawan for revenge. "I sure hope your dear doesn't miss you too much."

Ahsoka's expression turned from highly pleased to confused in an eye blink. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I can sense it very clearly, little one." Ventress smiled, "There's someone you're longing to go back to."

"Their called 'friends', Ventress. You should try to make one or two in your life." Ahsoka explained.

"No, no, no." Ventress said shaking her head, "I've snuck past a thousand sentries that couldn't wait to get back to their sweethearts, and that's exactly how you feel. So, who's the unlucky sleemo?"

"The Jedi are a celibate order, remember?" Ahsoka said slowly.

"And you're famous for following rules," Ventress countered, "It's your precious master, isn't it?"

"What? No, Anakin's like a brother to me."

"Kenobi?" Ventress asked in a warning tone

"He's twice my age!"

"The blue clone?" Ventress asked, not giving up on her interrogation.

"Blue clone? You mean Rex? No, he's too old AND like a brother!" Ahoska said indignity.

Ventess smiled at Ahsoka's discomfort. _Who's left?_ "…Bane?"

"What? No, weird…" Ahsoka sighed in defeat, "It's not a guy."

"Ooooo, you just got a lot more interesting." Ventress grinned, "You going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

"It's another Padawan; Barriss."

"Bear-ish?" Ventress thought for a moment, "The green one with the weird dots allover her face?"

"Their diamonds and their stylish." Ahsoka corrected.

"I'll bet she's crying her eyes out right now," Ventress said with certainty, "A girl can only take so much-"

"Okay! Okay!" Ahsoka shouted, "We're even, truce?"

"Truce," Ventress nodded triumphantly, then turned back to the cooked meat, "Let's eat."

#*#*#

The Council Chambers

After Anakin and Ahsoka stormed out, Obi-Wan was left alone in the center of the room. "Please excuse her behavior masters." He sai diplomatically, "Since being found, Ahsoka hasn't exactly been greeted warmly, a little frustration is to be expected."

There was a general murmur of agreement, then Master Adi spoke, "I sense deception, perhaps not an outright lie, but I feel the Padawan is hiding something."

"I agree," Windu said, "There's something she's not telling us."

"Come now masters," Obi-Wan sighed, then gestured around the chamber, "Who here can clearly remember what happened fourteen or even six months ago?"

Yoda raised his hand, but thankfully for Obi-Wan's cause, no one else did.

"Master Kenobi is right," Shaak Ti agreed, "She can't be expected to remember every detail."

"True enough, but I feel there's something Ahsoka is omitting," Adi countered.

"Maybe it's something embarrassing, or maybe Ventress did something to her she doesn't what to talk about." Fisto suggested.

"Go over 'maybes' forever, we could," Yoda said, silencing the council, "In the end, no evidence of guilt or innocence, do we have. Only the Padawan's word."

"The question is 'what's that worth?'" Windu asked, "Not to mention how she came to be weeping for the loss of Ventress."

"Perhaps there was good in Ventress, as I've always said," Obi-Wan suggested, "All that time alone, anyone could form a bond."

#*#*#

The Camp

Ahsoka woke up abruptly when what felt like gallons of water were dumped on her. The young Togruta at first contemplated murderous retribution on Ventress, but then realized that it wasn't a childish prank but heavy rain.

The Padawan looked over the fire pit to notice Ventess had also been shocked awake. Looking around, Ahsoka saw a nearby tree, shorter than the others with a thick canopy. "We can duck under that tree." She half yelled at Ventress pointing to the cover. She began to sprint toward the tree when she heard a yelp of pain followed by a dull thud. The Togruta looked back to see Ventress on the ground. The assassin tried to get to her feet, but collapsed a second time the moment she put any weight on her injured leg.

Ahsoka glanced at the tree, then to Ventress and back again. She then turned and moved over to Ventress, holding out her hand. The Sith looked at Ahsoka, but hesitated. "Take the hand," Ahsoka half ordered, whereupon Ventress sighed and accepted her help. Ahsoka half carried the older woman over to the cover of the black barked tree and they both collapsed against its trunk.

As the rain continued to pour, Ahsoka pulled her makeshift jacket tighter. She was then surprised when she felt Ventress pull her close, wrapping her cloak around the both of them. All she could think to say was, "Thanks."

"We'll stay warmer this way," Ventress explained, "…Thanks for not making me crawl through the mud."

"No problem." Ahsoka sighed, she then leaned back, hoping to fall back to sleep.


	6. Letting Go

Letting Go

The Jedi Temple

Ahsoka stood down the hall from Barriss' quarters. The young Togruta had taken her time getting there, and now couldn't bring herself to walk the last few meters. _Just go, you wimp_, Ahsoka berated herself, _what happened with Ventress didn't mean anything. Besides, you're never going to tell her anyway._

The Padawan took a deep breath, steeling herself and walked as confidently as possible up to Barriss' door. Just as Ahsoka was about to enter, several possibilities ran through the Padawan's head. It'd been fifteen months sense they'd seen each other; what if Barriss had changed? What if she'd had moved on? The Togruta was shaken out of her reverie by Barriss' slightly muffled voice, "I can sense you out there, Ahsoka."

At last, the Togruta stepped into the apartment, closing and force locking the door behind her. Barriss stood in the middle of the room waiting for Ahsoka, her expression a mixture of joy and disbelief. For several long moments, the two young Jedi simply stared at each other. Finally, Barriss was able to uproot herself from the floor and rushed to the girl she never thought she'd see again.

Once she was in arm's reach, Barriss pulled her Togruta into a tight embrace, which Ahsoka eagerly returned. The Mirialian sobbed into Ahsoka's shoulder, her knees becoming weak. Sensing this, Ahsoka lowered the two of them to the ground, pulling Barriss' hood off and running her fingers through her girlfriend's hair. "Sheesh, Barriss, if you're this sad to have me back, I could catch a ride back to Garthim." _Oh, by the Force that was stupid._

To Ahsoka's relief, Barriss giggled at the jibe. She pulled back slightly, looking at Ahsoka intently and carefully keeping physical contact, as if to determine if the Togruta was real or not. Barriss sniffed and spoke, "I thought you'd died out there. I couldn't even openly morn for you." Ahsoka felt very guilty as she listened, but kept quiet. "What was it like, being alone with Ventress for so long?"

Ahsoka looked just to the side of Barriss' eyes and spoke. "Well…after a few days we got over being from different sides; that didn't matter anymore. We learned to cooperate, work together. I guess Ventress kept me sane, she was my only companion for more than a year, probably why I got so worked up when she was killed." Ahsoka watched Barriss absorb what she'd been told, "I always knew I'd see you again."

Barriss pulled Ahsoka into another hug, "I love you, Ahsoka."

"I love you too, Barriss." _And I hate lying to you._

#*#*#

The Camp

Ahsoka groggily awoke feeling warm, but a bit sore. The Togruta shifted a bit, against the warm body next to her, snuggling against her lover's soft grey skin. _Wait, Barriss is green._ Suddenly, everything came flooding back to the Padawan; the dogfight, the Garthim, being rained on, Ventress. Ahsoka sighed, then turned to regard her nemesis turned campmate. _At least she's warm._

Two days later.

Ahsoka placed more branches onto the shelter she and Ventress had been making. Progress was slow, but the makeshift hut was nearly done. As Ventress hobbled over using a strong stick she'd found as a cane, Ahsoka sang slightly off key. "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and little by little my heavy heart sings, and then I don't feel, so bad."

"By the force, would you stop that?" Ventress growled, laying down the stack of branches she was caring. The Sith acolyte sat down rubbing her leg.

"I like that song, it makes me feel good." Ahsoka countered. She noticed Ventress nursing her leg, "You think we should change your bandages again?"

"Not necessary, it's healing well." Ventress said.

"Okay, but take it easy for a while," With that, Ahsoka went back to rain-proofing the shelter.

"Didn't know you cared."

"I care about having someone to dump some of the work on."

Five days later.

"Sooo booored," Ahsoka moaned. The shelter had been completed, and already protected them from one rain storm. Ahsoka and Ventress had taken their time in building it, mostly because the project gave them something to do. Ahsoka had killed another semi-nerf and a dozen or so rock slugs and they'd gathered a large amount of firewood and local fruit. Consequently, the two force users were left with nothing to do.

"What I wouldn't do for an army of Battle Droids." Ahsoka mused

"Better, a company of frightened Clone Troopers," Ventress added

"A good comedy on the Holonet."

"Some dark music."

"Barriss in nothing but her cloak."

"Obi-Wan strapped to a torture table with his shirt ripped off."

"A real bed to sleep on, with room service."

"That sounds good," Ventress agreed. At that moment, both force users froze. "How about that, we've got something in common."

The next evening

Ahsoka filled the last of three crude waterskins she had made from the second semi-nerf's pelt. After checking to make sure there were no leeks, the padawan set the waterskin down next to the other two. The Togruta then decided to simply sit and relax for a bit, listening the trickle of the river.

Reaching into her left glove, Ahsoka pulled out a small holo-projector. She brought up the handful of images saved in it, scrolling through projections of Anakin, Barriss, Rex, and Obi-Wan. The Togruta sighed contently, wondering how her friends were doing.

Four days later

Ahsoka charged Ventress and slashed at her throat. When her opponent blocked, she quickly withdrew her weapon and struck again for the sith's leg, but was again frustrated when Ventress just barely blocked the attack. "You're lucky we're using sticks, little one." Ventress mocked.

Ahsoka backed off, and went back into her stance, "Lucky? Last time we fought you never landed a blow on me." With that Ahsoka rushed back at Ventress, she dodged a slash from her opponent and went to slice at her exposed side. Acting quick, the assassin reached out with two fingers, force pushing the Togruta several feet through the air.

The padawan landed roughly on her back and looked up at Ventress angrily, "What the kriff? We weren't using force powers!"

"You have to be ready for when your opponent changes the rules," Ventress said walking up to Ahsoka, only a small trace of a limp in her step. Ahsoka considered this as Ventress stood over her, a cocky grin on her face. The padawan then swung out with her stick, knocking Ventress' legs out from under her. Ventress landed roughly on her side and said, "Now you're learning."

Three days later

"Rain drops on roses." Ventress sang

"And whiskers on kittens," Ahsoka chimed in

"Bright copper kettles." Ventress sang

Now it was Ahsoka's turn "And warm woolen mittens."

Then together, "Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things."

"When the dog bites," Ventress chimed

"When the bee stings," Ahsoka sang

"When I'm feeling sad," Ventress again

"I simply remember my favorite things," Ahsoka chimed

Then together again, "And little by little my heavy heart sings, and then I don't feel, so bad."

The next day

Ventress and Ahsoka sat in a tree, careful not to make any noise. Beneath them, a Garthim toiled about, seemingly unaware of their presence. The two force users had observed the creatures several other times, but this was the closest they'd yet dared to get.

"I wonder how their shells are so tough?" Ahsoka pondered out loud.

"The real thing to focus on is how many weaknesses do they have." Ventress stated. The Garthim patrolled around the area under them, and began to walk off. However, on its way out, the Garthim knocked over a large rock, revealing a toad like creature. The toad let out a surprised, irritated croak and spat a dark green fluid at the Garthim. The warrior's exoskeleton began to bubble and melt everywhere the toad's spit landed. As the Garthim fled, Ventress turned to regard the toad. "I think we just made a friend."

One week later

"So he charges and pounds on me with one of my own lightsabers so hard I got knocked off the cliff. Down at the bottom I could hear him screaming like a madman."

"Anakin? No way." Ahsoka said shaking her head.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" Ventress asked with a raised eyebrow, "He's bent or broken just about every part of the Jedi Code. Not to mention he tortured Poggle."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"You mean you never heard about that? When you and your dotted sweetheart were using the brain worms as an excuse to snuggle in an air vent, the Chosen One about chocked the life out of the little flea." Ventress explained, "After we got him back, he wouldn't shut up about it."

"That must be how he found out about freezing the worms," Ahsoka mused, "You see, he did it to save me and Barriss."

"So you're saying it was a necessary evil." Ventress asked with a curious tone, "That's not a very Jedi way to think."

Ventress watched Ahsoka try to think of a retort, amused. "Master does what he thinks is best…besides, he's the Chosen One."

Ventress 'hmm'-ed in response, "He's not the only one close to you with a darker side, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ahoska asked incredulously.

"Don't suppose you've ever heard of an 'Order 66'? If you ever see that blue clone of yours again, ask him about it." That was all Ventress would ever say about the subject.

Two days later

Ahsoka tossed and turned as she slept, finally jolting awake with a yelp. Her nightmare, or perhaps it was a vision, had been filled with haunting images; Barriss and Luminara fighting invisible enemies, Coruscant itself under siege, the Jedi Temple in ruins, a menacing, masked figure breathing deeply.

After taking several deep breaths to calm herself, the Padawan looked up at the sky through the entrance to her and Ventress' hut. Ahsoka had lost track of how long she'd been stranded and still there was no sign of the Republic. Were they still looking for her? Did they even know she was alive? Would she ever see the Jedi Temple again? Go on another mission with Anakin? Hold Barriss again?

Ahsoka hugged her knees to her chest, trying desperately not to weep. "Go ahead and cry, Ahsoka," the Trogruta's eyes shot to Ventress's bed in surprise, "It hurts when you lose everything, there's no shame in morning. The time to worry is when it doesn't hurt anymore."

The next morning

Ahsoka meandered away from the camp, no real destination in mind. Ventress had said nothing about the night before or tried to dissuade her from wandering off, the Togruta was grateful.

Eventually, Ahsoka's feet lead her to the stream were the force users got their water. She stood there for several minutes, listening to the trickle of the water. She reached into her glove and pulled out the holo-projector. She scanned through the images of her loved ones, how now they simply brought pain. _It's time to let go_, Ahsoka though. She turned off the projector and calmly tossed it into the river. After that, the Togruta ceased looking up at the sky.


	7. Consequences

Consequences

Kamino, before the Garthim VI Incident

Ventress made her way through a minor facility on the cloner home world. The assassin's mission was very simple; delete certain data before it came to the Republic's attention. It was so simple, in fact, that Ventress couldn't understand why Lord Sidious was so determined that it be completed quickly, or why he'd assigned it to her personally.

Purging these thoughts from her mind, Ventress slipped into the facility's mainframe and slipped in a stolen override code. After a few moments, the computer allowed the Sith access to its files. Ventress quickly located the condemned file, but curiously hesitated to delete it. With a quick glance around to insure she was alone, Ventress clicked the 'open' button. The assassin's eyes bulged at what she saw;

Special Order 66; Exterminate all Jedi on sight. This order can only come directly from Lord Sidious.

"What…the…kriff?" Ventress couldn't believe what she was seeing. _Lord Sidious can get rid of every Jedi at the drop of a hat?_ The assassin thought, _why hasn't he?_ An image of an annoying Togruta Padawan being shot by her own beloved clone captain appeared in Ventress' mind before she shook it off. Deciding to look into it later, Ventress pressed the 'delete' button and slipped out the way she'd come in.

Boarding her Fanblade, Ventress rejoined with the squadron of droid fighters that had accompanied her to the planet. The assassin received coordinates for the jump to hyperspace from one of the fighters and typed them into her ship. Unfortunately, when her Fanblade exited hyperspace, Ventress found herself in a completely unfamiliar system.

Ventress angrily called her squadron on her comm, "Where that stang are we?"

"Sorry, ma'am, but we're lost." Answered one of the droid fighters. Ventress pinched the bridge of her nose.

#*#*#

Outside the Council Chambers, after Ahsoka was found.

Anakin made his way apprehensively toward the Council Chamber, but stopped when the doors opened and the Council members file out. Anakin stepped to the side and scanned the Masters' faces, relieved to see reassuring looks from Shaak Ti, Aayla, and Fisto. Finally, Obi-Wan made his way into the hallway. Anakin approached his friend and cautiously asked, "So what happened?"

"The Council has decided that, since there's no evidence of wrongdoing, she'll be reinstated as your Padawan," Obi-Wan stated.

"But…" Anakin prompted

"…Several council members seem to think there's something Ahsoka is intentionally not telling us," Obi-Wan added, "…and I agree."

"C'mon, who can remember everything that happened over a year ago?" Anakin asked

"Apparently, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan countered, "I don't want it to be true either, but I knew the look she had at times while telling her story. It was the same one you always had when you'd caused some great mess."

#*#*#

Garthim VI, several months after the dogfight.

Ahsoka learned many things on Garthim VI. When her boots fell apart, she learned to make moccasins. From Ventress, she learned to use force crush on small Garthim Walnuts, and force chock to kill semi-nerfs without damaging any meat. As the winter intensified, then passed, she learned how to make a fire with wet wood, and later, how to do so while being rained on. The young Togruta also learned that Grievous had a soft spot for Master Shaak Ti, and that Ventress had written at least one poem about Obi-Wan. When Ventress' cloths began to fall apart, she learned, or rather noticed, that the assassin's hips swayed alluringly when she walked.

Indeed, Ahsoka had many lessons from Garthim VI. She had just as many from her unexpected friend and it was during one such lesson that the already blurred lines between her and Ventress finally disappeared. The assassin spoke calmly as she and Ahsoka sparred with two sticks each. "The important thing when using two weapons-"

_Thack!_ "AAAAHHH!"

"-is to always know where both of them are." Ventress watched patiently as Ahsoka rubbed the back of her head. "If we'd been using real lightsabres, you'd of just cut your own head in half."

"That would be a humiliating way to go." Ahsoka said looking up at Ventress. Both force users were clad mostly in makeshift fur and leather clothing. "The rugged look suits you, Ventress."

"Yes it does. Now, _en garde_." Ventress dropped into her stance and launched at the Togruta. Ahsoka quickly recovered and blocked both of Ventress' costume lightsabres, then shot two fingers forward, hitting Ventress with a mild force push.

Ventress skidded back and saw Ahsoka coming after her. Ahsoka swung, but her opponent blocked then slashed at her head. The Togruta went to block, only for Ventress to withdrew her stick and swing under her arm, making painful contact with Ahsoka's ribs. "Killed you." Ventress purred.

Ahsoka backed up with a frustrated sigh, then came after the assassin with a flurry of swings and jabs. Ventress backed up, letting herself be guided into a corner. As the Togruta's confidence became palpable in the Force, Ventress spotted the opening she'd been waiting for. The assassin slashed her right sticksabre between Ahsoka's arms and lightly tapped her on the forehead. "Killed you again."

The two warriors circled each other as they made their way back into the open. Again Ahsoka made the first move, coming at Ventress with two swipes at once. Ventress forced both of the Togruta's weapons down with her left stick, and then confidently swung her right at Ahsoka's now vulnerable head. Anticipating this, Ahsoka ducked under the attack. From her squatted position, the Togruta launched herself forward into Ventress' chest.

Both fighters flew back about a meter, with Ventress emitting a surprised yelp. The assassin's breath was knocked out of her as she landed with several kilos of Togruta on her chest and stomach. Ahsoka swung her right sticksabre, stopping just short of Ventress' throat. "Killed you." She said sweetly. Both opponents laughed.

Ahsoka removed her wooden weapon and realized she should have gotten off of Ventress, but for some reason, she stayed where she was, looking down at the assassin. The blue marks around Ventress' eyes, mouth, and ears contrasted nicely with her grey skin. The glistening sweat on her skin and heaving of the assassin's chest made her all the more appealing.

Without thinking, Ahsoka leaned forward and kissed the woman who'd repeatedly tried to kill her. Ventress at first tensed in surprise, but soon relaxed and kissed back. An image of a tattooed Padawan appeared in Ahsoka's mind, but vanished when she felt Ventress' calloused hands slipped under her fur tunic.

#*#*#

Barriss' Quarters

Ahsoka woke up in a proper bed for the first time in more than fourteen months. The experience was made even more enjoyable by the girl she was sharing the bed with. Barriss slept only inches away, as still and peaceful as ever, she and Ahsoka's cloths scattered around the bed.

A smile crept across Ahsoka's face as the reasons her relationship with Barriss had turned romantic ran threw her head. Careful not to wake the Mirialian, Ahsoka gently caressed Barriss' hand, so much softer then Ventress'-_No!_ the Togruta almost physically shook the thought away. Ahsoka took a breath to calm herself, turning back to Barriss_. I don't care what the Code says_, she thought, _she's mine, and no one's taking her away from me._

Barriss murmured softly as Ahsoka's attention finally roused her. The Mirialian opened her eyes to see a smiling Ahsoka. "That's right," the Togruta smirked, "last night wasn't a dream…So, what's my favorite Padawan been up to?"

"Your favorite Knight." Barriss corrected with a smile.

"That's great Barriss!" Ahsoka said, pulling her lover in for a hug. "You'll be on the Council in no time."

"I almost didn't live to tell you," Barriss said, thinking back to that day.

"What do you mean?"

"Master Luminara and I went to Ilum to complete my training."

"And got attacked?" Ahsoka interrupted, "By enemies you couldn't see?"

Barriss stared at Ahsoka in shock, "How…did you know…?"

"On Garthim, I had a dream about it, and…I need to take to Master Yoda."

#*#*#

Palpatine's Office

Darth Sidious, better known as Chancellor Palpatine, had long dreamed of ruling the galaxy as emperor with a faithful servant at his side. Since his youth, Palpatine had patiently plotted and worked his way to this dream. Despite his outward appearance of control and patience, however, Palpatine had grown steadily more anxious the closer his imperial dream came.

Fourteen months prior, it seemed his dream was in sight. Anakin's beloved apprentice had disappeared and the Council couldn't seem to care less. Anakin had long been the prime candidate to be Palpatine's pawn, and killing off his little Padawan seemed the best way to bring him into the fold. Now fate seemed to have handled that for him, better than he ever could have. Ventress had disappeared as well, but it was a small, if regrettable, lose in the grand scheme of things. Truly Palpatine needed only drop the right hints to the disgruntled Chosen One to have his dream.

Then the war came to Garthim VI, and brought Ahsoka back as a souvenir. Palpatine seemed as calm as ever on the outside, but as Senator Amidala prattled on about…something, the would-be emperor could hardly keep from screaming in frustration.

"Chancellor?" Palpatine was snapped back to reality by what he hoped was the first time Padme had tried to gain his attention.

"Forgive me, senator. I suppose I've had a lot on my mind of late." Palpatine said as smoothly as possible.

"I understand, you're not the only one," Padme said reassuringly, "Anakin's been pretty frustrated since Ahsoka was rescued."

"Really?" the Chancellor asked, he hoped not too eagerly.

"The Jedi are treating that poor girl like a criminal." Padme explained, "They think she's hiding something, like there was even any damage she could do on a backwater like Garthim VI. Anakin can barely stand it."

"Yes…terrible." The Chancellor could hardly contain himself. Filing this bit of information away for the moment, the Chancellor turned his attention back to Padme. The senator resumed discussing matters of the republic she had just doomed.

#*#*#

Ahsoka and Barriss moved through the halls of the Jedi Temple, trying to sense Master Yoda. Finally, Barriss spoke up, "I can sense him down that hallway…he feels a bit aggravated."

The secret lovers rounded a corner, stopping in surprise at the scene unfolding down the hallway. A clone trooper held Yoda's cane over his head, mockingly asking, "How you gonna get it, sir? It's all the way up here?"

"Mock me, you will not." Yoda said sternly. He jabbed his hand toward the disrespectful clone and force pushed him into a wall more than thirty feet away. The trooper slumped onto the ground unconscious as Yoda retrieved his cane with a grumble. The old master stopped short when he turned and noticed Ahsoka and Barriss. "Short jokes," Yoda sighed, "Take their toll, they do."

"That's alright, master." Ahsoka reassured him, "Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Certainly," Yoda said warmly, Barriss lifted Yoda into her arms so he and Ahsoka could talk face to face, "Now, young one, to discuss what do you wish?"

Ahsoka briefly though about how she should fraise her question, "Master...have you ever heard of a Sith Lord or other villain that wore a mask?"

"A mask?" Yoda thought briefly, "I have not. Why do you ask?"

"Back on Garthim, I think I had a vision," Ahsoka explained, "One of the things I saw was a masked figure in black armor, they sounded like they was breathing through a filter."

"Hmmm, never heard of such a being, have I. Sorry that more help, I could not be." Yoda said, shifting slightly in Barriss' arms.

"What else did you see, Ahsoka?"

"Destruction, pain, death…and all of it seemed to be because of that man," Ahsoka said "At least we've been warned."

"Careful you must be, when seeing the future." Yoda warned, "Possible it is, to change this dark vision, but one of meets her destiny on the road she took to avoid it."

"We'll stop this masked Sith, Ahsoka," Barriss reassured, "Whoever he is."

Just then, Anakin approached the three of them. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, "Ahsoka, when you're ready, Rex and the boys are anxious to welcome you back."

#*#*#

The Camp

Ahsoka and Ventress sat in their hut, a comfortable silence between the two of them. Ahsoka tossed the acid toads they'd tamed a piece of meat and dug into a slimy rock slug. Ventress turned away from the sight, taking a drink of a kind of cheap moonshine they'd concocted.

Outside the camp, three Garthim approached. Rather than swatting trees aside, they slowly weaved through the forest, intend on eliminating the intruders.

"Come on, Asajj, just one bite." Ahsoka begged, holding the roasted slug out to the assassin.

Ventress was about to smack the morsel away when she sensed a presence. _Can't be, we'd of heard them_, she thought. The feeling only got stronger and the assassin jumped to her feet. "Ahsoka, we've got-"_RRRRAAARRRR!_

Before Ventress could finish, the hulking form of a Garthim warrior burst through the wall directly behind Ahsoka. Another appeared at the door and a third smashed through the wall to Ventress' right.

The first Garthim pinned Ahsoka to the ground with its crab claw and prepared to smash her with its fist. As the three fingered hand rose in the air, time seemed to slow down for the Togruta.

Ventress grabbed the basket they kept the acid toads in with the force and flung it at the Garthim holding Ahsoka. She then force pushed the one at the door away and pulled her sabres to herself.

The Garthim holding Ahsoka down released her as it tried to swipe the toad off. Croaking angrily, the toads spat several gobs of acid at the warrior. Seeing this, Ventress turned to the third one, hearing the one from the door returning. She let the Garthim snap at her, then stepped around the crab claw and inside its defenses. The assassin slashed diagonally at the Garthim's exposed stomach with each blade, carving a large 'X' into it.

Ventress turned toward the acid burned Garthim with a look of aggravation. She reached out and force crushed it's weaken armor. The exoskeleton imploded with a sickening crunch.

The third Garthim returned, but stopped short at the sight of his dead comrades. Ventress stood protectively over Ahsoka, fixing the Garthim with a death glare. The indigenous warrior backed up, then fled.

Ventress let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and extinguished her lightsabres. The assassin helped Ahsoka to her feet and surveyed their ruined hut.

"You saved me," Ahsoka said, the shock from the attack having not fully worn off.

"Of course." Ventress said. She then send a vengeful look the way the surviving Garthim had fled, then looked back at Ahsoka. "I don't know about you, but I'm sick of those bugs." Ahsoka nodded in agreement, and the two force users ran after the Garthim.


	8. Darth Snips

Author's Note; Please pardon the long absence. I recently moved into my first apartment, and the transition has been a bit awkward.

Fun Fact; Ventress' first name is misspelled 'Asajji' in the character list for SW CW.

Darth Snips

The Forest

Ahsoka followed close on Ventress' heels as they ran after the surviving Garthim. The damage to their camp, particularly the hut, meant the force users would literally be left out in the rain. Much of their food had been destroyed as well. The more Ahsoka thought about these things, the angrier she became. _What did we ever do to them_, she thought, _damn bugs have been hostile since the minute we got here!_

The Togruta skidded to a halt when Ventress raised her hand. They'd arrived at what looked like a giant termite mound. "The nest," Ventress announced

Both force users cautiously made their way toward the mound. They noticed several entrances, but each had a pair of sentries standing diligently on watch. Ventress was about to simply attack one such pair when Ahsoka grabbed her shoulder, "I know how we can get in."

Ahsoka lead the way to a more deserted area, though they still had to be weary of patrols. She dashed right up to the side of the mound and began feeling the outer wall of the mound; the same method Barriss had used to get them into the catacombs on Geonosis. Ventress gave the Togruta a quizzical look, but stayed quiet, instead looking out for guards.

Finally, Ahsoka felt a hollow area and quickly carved a hole to allow her and Ventress access. Ventress patted her friend on the shoulder and the two made their way into the tunnels.

Both force users could feel a large concentration of Garthim down a certain tunnel and, after some twisting and turning, came upon a ledge overlooking a large chamber filled with Garthim. Ahsoka glared down at the belligerent creatures with contempt. Beside her, Ventress drew each of her lightsabres and got ready to springe into the chamber, "On the count of three. One…two…three!"

As both warriors leapt into crowd of Garthim, Ahsoka sliced one warrior across his exposed stomach on the way down, and then stabbed a second. After that, things went into a hellish haze of screaming and violence. Ahsoka was running almost entirely on instinct, only able to think of her anger and hate for the Garthim.

When the haze finally lifted, Ahsoka was standing over an eviscerated warrior. Looking around she saw the room was fill with dead Garthim, she also noticed she now had one of Ventress' red Lightsabres. Just then, the Togruta heard a loud yell, higher pitched then a Garthim warrior's war cry. Ahsoka turned on her heel ready to defend herself, only to freeze in shock.

A tiny Garthim, slightly shorter then Ahsoka with a white exoskeleton, rushed up to the dead warrior next to Ahsoka. The Garthim child desperately shock the warrior and whined loudly as if hoping to wake him up. Moments later an adult, this one with two three fingered hands rather than a crab-claw, scooped the little one into its arms protectively. Eying the shocked Togruta with fear, the female Garthim backed away cautiously, before sprinting away with her wailing infant.

Ahsoka again looked at the carnage around her; she spotted more than a few females and even children among the dead. "What have we done?"

#*#*#

Hold of the _Resolute_

Captain Rex of the 501st Legion stood at attention, Cody and a few of his other brothers at his side. The veteran still couldn't quite believe the commander was back. The whole Garthim situation never had sat well with Rex. Ahsoka had gone off on far more reckless ventures and come out alright, albeit with a few close calls. But this time nothing happened, at all. The young Togruta's Delta-7 had suffered 'interference' and that was the last anyone had heard from her.

_Until now_, the captain thought. It was regrettable that Ram hadn't returned as well; _guess that'd be too much to hope for._

Rex was brought out of his reverie by the _Twilight_ entering the docking bay. The captain and his fellow troopers stood slightly taller as the aging ship landed. The Twilight set down and sure enough, Ahsoka Tano descended the ramp flanked by her master and Obi-Wan. The Togruta was a bit taller with more defined horns and longer lekku, but there was no mistaking it.

"It's good to have you back, sir." The captain said crisply. Ahsoka simply rolled her eyes and threw her arms around Rex. Hearing a snicker from Chopper, the clone captain sent a slight glare the trooper's way, then returned the hug.

Finally, Ahsoka released Rex and turned to the other assembled troopers. "You guys don't know how good it is seeing you again." She said, then noticed something, "Where's Echo?"

Rex hesitated and Cody and Fives shifted awkwardly. "Echo's gone, sir, commando droid blew him to bits." Rex explained, "But, let's not dwell on it. C'mon, I'll reintroduce you to the boys."

Rex proceeded to show Ahsoka the new Interceptor Fighters, and other new installments on the _Resolute_, as well as sharing stories and running into familiar faces (though this was a slightly relative term on a ship filled with clones.)

Eventually, the two stopped in the mess hall for a meal. As she sat down, Ahsoka looked around and saw that things seemed just as they were when she'd last been here. At first this was comforting, but it soon dawned on the young togruta that it meant the war was still as active as ever. "Can't believe we're still fighting the separatists," she sighed.

Rex nodded in agreement, "At the very least we've got 'em on the run. Most of the fighting is confined to a bunch of sieges in the Outer Rim."

"The Outer Rim Sieges?"

The clone captain gave a chuckle, "Yeah, the news casters aren't too creative are they?" Over Ahsoka's shoulder, Rex noticed Obi-Wan and Anakin enter, chanting like old times. "It's good to see those two getting along like they used too." He said gesturing to the generals.

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder, then back at Rex, looking perplexed, "Whaddya mean, Anakin and Obi-Wan are like brothers?"

Rex sighed, as if weighing whether or not to let Ahsoka in on a secret. Finally, he explained, "We had a mission on a planet called 'Mortis', and found an ancient Force Citadel, or some damn thing. Anyway, Skywalker and Kenobi are the only ones that went in. To us it felt like they'd been in there an hour or so, but they looked like it had been a couple of days."

"What happened?"

"That's just it; we don't know." Rex said with a helpless shrug, "Nobody does except General Kenobi and he'll not breathe a word of what happened, even to the Council."

"But what about Anakin? Did he just forget?" Ahsoka asked with a smile

"Yes actually," Rex said, "and if you ask me, I think whatever happened is best left forgotten."

#*#*#

The Jedi Temple

Ahsoka made her way determinedly through halls of the temple. Somehow, Rex's story had chillingly reminded the Togruta of her vision on Garthim. She needed to talk to Obi-Wan. Immediately.

The padawan rounded a corner and saw Barriss coming down the hall toward her. "Ahsoka, there's something-"

"Not now, Barriss," Ahsoka didn't break stride as she spoke, "I need to see Master Kenobi, right away."

Barriss grabbed her Togruta by the elbow to stop her. "Please," was all she said.

Surprised by the Mirialian's tone and expression, Ahsoka sighed, "Okay, Barriss." The two Jedi made their way to their shared quarters and force locked the door, not wanting any intrusions. Ahsoka sat on the bed and turned to her lover, "So, what's bothering you?"

Barriss was silent for several moments, as though unsure of how to respond. After a deep breath, the Mirialian spoke, "A few weeks back, Senator Amadala asked me to accompany her to a planet called 'Raxus'; she was going to see a woman called Bonteri. While we were there I met her son…Lux."

_You know where this is going_. Ahsoka flinched at the new voice, then froze when she recognized it as Ventress'.

"Ahsoka, are you okay?" Barriss asked

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ahsoka said as casually as possible, "So…what about this guy Lux?"

Barriss stiffened abit and continued, "Well, we spent a good deal of time together while his mother and the senator discussed matters… and he was quite well spoken. He showed me that not all separatists are as cruel or heartless as Grievous or Ventress." Ahsoka winced.

_Here it comes._

"I…I started to have feelings for him; we shared a kiss before I left Raxus. Just before word got back that you'd been found, we were planning on meeting again." Barriss looked at Ahsoka shamefully, "…I'm sorry."

_Tell her._

Ahsoka sat in silence for several moments, unable to speak. Finally, she was able to choke out words. "Barriss, I…"

_Tell her._

"…I forgive you." Barriss wrapped her arms around Ahsoka's shoulders, buring her face in the Togruta's chest. Ahsoka returned the hug, rubbing comforting circles into the Mirialian's shoulder, and trying to hide her guilty feelings.

_You're a coward, Ahsoka._

#*#*#

The Camp

Ventress and Ahsoka made their way back to the remnants of their camp. The assassin went to examine the pair's ruined hut to see what could be salvaged. Ahsoka had mutely followed her friend back. The young Togruta now stood near the fire pit, lost in her thoughts.

Ventress smirked with satisfaction when she found the skin containing the moonshine was intact and turned to the other force user. "Good news, the grog's okay…" her tone became concerned when she saw Ahsoka's face, "…something wrong?"

"Some of those Garthim were just babies," Ahsoka said distantly, "they were terrified of us."

"Exactly," Ventress said, a bit confused, "Now they wouldn't come back."

"What?"

"They're afraid of us now," Ventress explained, "That's the whole point. The Garthim won't dare come near us now."

"That's-I can't…" the Togruta struggled to find the right words. "I'm a Jedi! I can't do things like this."

"You were a Jedi." Ventress corrected.

"I can't do things like this, Asajj!" Ahsoka shouted, "I'm not evil, I'm not like…"

A long, awkward silence set in after the last word died on Ahsoka's tongue. Finally, Ventress asked, "Not like what, Ahsoka?" Ventress took a few steps toward her former enemy, "Not like what?" Ahsoka struggled to think of something, anything. Ventress took the last few steps and leaned forward, she was now face to face with Ahsoka. "Not like me?"

"No! That's not what I was-"

"Was I being evil when I save your life, not four hours ago? Was it wrong of me to comfort you when you woke up crying? Were those rolls in the proverbial hay wicked?"

"What about when you scarred Anakin?" Ahsoka shouted, "What about when you killed my entire squadron?"

"Who's fault was that?" Ventress shouted back.

_Snips, you'd better get back to the _Resolute_ until we can figure out who that is._

"If you hadn't shown up, I'd of just left and we'd be blissfully trying to murder each other right now!"

_You sure, miss?_

"Who's fault is it that we're stuck here?"

_We're just gonna make a quick detour, it'll be fine._

Ahsoka stood still, shocked. _It's my fault_, she thought, _all of this is my fault_. Ventress turned and walked away, shaking her hairless head. Ahsoka uprooted herself and went after the assassin. She put her hand on Ventress' shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. "Asajj, I'm sorry."

Ventress kept her back turned for several long seconds, but finally turned toward Ahsoka, her express was much softer now. The assassin was about to say something when a familiar sound rang through the air; the engines of a gunship.

Both force users looked up at the sky and, sure enough, several Republic Gunships flew far overhead. The fleet moved smoothly for a few more seconds, then dozens of droid fighters rushed up to intercept them.

The war had come to Garthim VI.


	9. No Longer Enemies

No Longer Enemies

Garthim

Ventress and Ahsoka stood side by side in silence as, about a mile away, the armies of the Republic and CIS tore into each other. For Ahsoka the experience was almost surreal. She simply didn't know how to feel; her wish for rescue, so long ignored by the fates, had finally been granted yet she couldn't bring herself to be happy. She supposed it might be that the Republic forces didn't seem to notice her. She was also nervous about how things might have changed in her absence.

And then there was her good friend Asajj Ventress the Sith Acolyte.

At that thought, Ahsoka turned to Ventress. "So, I guess we're enemies again, huh?"

"No," Ventress breathed, then turned to the Togruta, "No matter what happens, Ahsoka, you and I are no longer enemies." She looked back at the battle dispassionately, "Let's find a way off this planet."

#*#*#

Outside Barriss' Quarters

Ahsoka and Barriss exited their shared room as Masters Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto moved down the hall. The Padawan and Knight shared a meaningful look before Barriss turned and walked down the hallway.

Ahsoka stared after her lover until she noticed Aayla standing next to her. "Careful, Padawan Tano," the Twi'lek master cautioned, "lest your eyes betray your secret." Without another word, Aayla and Kit left; Ahsoka noticed they were very close to one another.

Ahsoka collected herself and headed to Obi-Wan's quarters. She knocked a bit anxiously and moments later, the door slide open to reveal Master Kenobi. "Ahsoka, is there something you need?" the compassionate master asked.

"Ah, yeah, Master Kenobi. Can I come in?" Ahsoka asked, not sure she wanted to hear what he knew about Mortis.

"Of course, come in," Obi-Wan gestured for the Togruta to enter.

As Ahsoka took a seat, Obi-Wan turned off whatever gadget he'd been working on when she'd interrupted. "You know, Ahsoka, about a month after you disappeared, I encountered a tribe of human cannibals." The master said as he took his own seat. "I told their chief about the war and how hundreds die every day. He asked how we preserve all that meat." Despite the dire reason for her visit, Ahsoka couldn't resist a chuckle. "When I told him we did't eat them, the chief was horrified. He asked what kind of savages we were to kill for no reason. Makes you think doesn't it?"

The Togruta padawan, now snapped back to reality. She took a breath and decided to get right to the point. "Master Obi-Wan, Rex told me about the mission on Mortis, and how you're the only one that knows what happened. On Garthim, I had a vision of dark times to come and I get the feeling that the two are connected. Master Kenobi, what happened on Mortis?"

"What happened on Garthim?" Obi-Wan asked casually.

"Excuse me, master?" Ahsoka asked. "I…I've told you, I've told everyone the whole story, several times."

"Ahsoka, I and the rest of the Council know you've omitted something," Obi-Wan said simply. "One secret for another seems a fair trade."

_My dear Obi-Wan, he always was perceptive_. Ventress' voice sounded in Ahsoka's mind.

Ahsoka sighed and, after a long silence, she told Obi-Wan everything; her love for Barriss, Ventress' feelings for the master, how her friendship with the Sith had turned into an affair, and finally, the slaughter of the Garthim.

Obi-Wan listened stoically throughout the story. "I'll talk to council and see that their suspicions are put to rest." Before Ahsoka could question his unexpected reaction, Obi-Wan continued, "Now to keep my side of the bargain."

Obi-Wan hesitated for a few moments, then finally cleared his throat, "Out of the blue, the Temple received an outdated distress code from the Chrelythiumn System. Anakin and I were to rendezvous with the _Resolute_, but as soon we arrived we were pulled into some sort of giant crystal.

"We found ourselves on the planet, and encountered a group of extremely powerful beings known simply as 'The Ones'; the Father, the Daughter…and the Son." Obi-Wan's normally calm features now seemed distant, haunted, "The Son…did something to Anakin, showed him something…it turned Anakin to the Dark Side."

Ahsoka couldn't believe what she was hearing, Anakin could be a hard man at times, but this just didn't seem possible. Suddenly, the proverbial light bulb clicked on as the connection to her vision became clear. _No_, she thought_, please no._

"Anakin, or whatever he'd become, attacked me," Obi-Wan continued, "and I killed him." After letting_ that_ sink in, Obi-Wan finished his story, "The Daughter sacrificed herself to resurrect Anakin, whipping his memory of what happened. The Father and I confronted the Son; Father killed himself, draining the Son of his life as well…I've never spoken of what happened to anyone."

Ahsoka sat in stunned silence. She knew what all this meant, but refused to process it. Her master was the masked figure from her vision; Anakin was going to destroy the galaxy. "What, what should we do?"

"I don't know, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said, "For now, I think it best to keep a cautious eye on Anakin…and try to steer him toward the light."

Ahsoka thanked Obi-Wan, and after a shared embrace left. Throughout the Togruta's visit, Obi-Wan had felt a third presence in his quarters, a familiar one. A few moments after Ahsoka had left a faint glow illuminated the room. Obi-Wan slowly turned and there stood the force ghost of Asajj Ventress. Obi-Wan was only able to say three words. "Hello, my love."

#*#*#

Palpatine's Office

Anakin entered the Chancellor's office and bowed respectfully. "You wished to speak to me, Chancellor?"

"No need for formalities, Anakin," Palpatine said casually gesturing to a seat, "I merely wished to see if you were doing alright. I'd heard times have been stressful."

Relaxing noticeably, Anakin sat down across from the Chancellor, "That's a polite way of putting it." He granted Palpatine, "Ahsoka is finally back and the Council have been throwing accusations at her ever since."

_Sounds like those damn fools_, Palpatine thought, "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Master Windu believed she was helping the Seppies, and now there's all this jargon about her keeping something secret."

"And yet, Master Kenobi keeps the entire Mortis fiasco to himself, and they seem to have no objection at all." Lord Sidious observed.

Anakin stared at Palpatine for several long moments. "I…I'd never thought of that."

"Does seem strange," the Chancellor continued, "Kenobi's secrets are of potentially great importance to the Jedi and you personally. Anything that happened to your poor apprentice on that backwater could hardly affect anything in the greater Republic." Anakin had no response, Sidious could feel the many emotions raging in him, "Well, I have much to do; I do thank you for your visit and hope this whole ugliness can be settled." Anakin muttered his goodbyes and left, his confused frustration satisfyingly palpable in the force. _Dance little puppet, dance_.

#*#*#

Garthim

Ahsoka and Ventress moved down toward the battlefield in silence. They hadn't spoken on what they would do when they encountered one side or the other. Nevertheless, both knew the other would vouch for her if the need arose. Finally, they heard the familiar clanking of Battle Droids.

Ventress positioned herself in front of Ahsoka and glared out at the approaching droids. Twenty Battle Droids came around a bend and, upon spotting the force users, the front rank halted and raised their blasters, only to for the second rank to crash into them.

"Don't move Jedi!" the commander said after its comrades had regained their composure.

"Do I look like Jedi scum?" Ventress sneered back, before glancing over her shoulder, "No offense"

"Hey, I know you," the commander said lowering its blaster, "You're-"

"Asajj Ventress," a new voice said. The Battle Droids parted and Ahsoka suddenly felt apprehension from Ventress as a tall Zabrak approached, "We all thought you were dead or a deserter."

"Who's this guy?" Ahsoka asked softly

"Savage Opress, I knew him back on Dathomir. Used to be a noble warrior, now…not so much," Ventress then turned back to Opress, "What are you doing here?"

"After your disappearing act, Dooku needed a new pawn to do his dirty work," Opress answered, "All things considered, it's not so bad."

"Well, congratulations on your new position," Ventress said moving her hands were she could easily reach her lightsabers, "I don't suppose you'd mind giving your predecessor and her ally a ride off world."

Ahsoka felt a great deal of fear as a sadistic grin spread across Opress' face. "Sorry, Nightsister, old habits and all that." Opress smacked the Droid Commander out of his way and charged welding a lightstaff.

Ventress and Ahsoka backed away as the Zabrak charged. Opress wildly swung his staff at Ventress, the assassin was able to block his blows but was being overwhelmed by her attacker's shear ferocity. Ahsoka was about to go to her aid, but was bogged down by fire from the battle droids.

The Togruta was very out of practice at blocking, much less redirecting, blaster shots. It was all she could do to keep from being hit. Ahsoka risked a glance at Ventress and saw that the Sith was doing slightly better. Opress was a fearsome enemy but he had no technic; his attacks were all impulse and power. Ventress was holding him at bay, but would need help.

Just then, one of the Battle Droids was hit by a blue blaster shot. The Droid commander looked in the direction the bolt had come from and, sure enough, a company of clone troopers was fast approaching. "Sir! We have to get out of here!" Opress, however, ignored the commander and continued his onslaught on Ventress.

With some of the droids redirecting their fire on the clones, Ahsoka was able to gain some ground. However, she was still hard pressed to defend herself. She was about to attempt a jump into the heart of the droids, were they could easily be dispatched, when a grenade from one of the troopers landed roughly a meter from the Togruta, blasting her off her feet.

Ahsoka landed roughly on her side, dazed and in pain. Her blurred vision and ringing hearing faded just in time for the Togruta to notice the Droids train their weapons on her execution style.

Ahsoka braced herself for the end, but before her killers could fire the droids were thrown aside by a violent force push. The Togruta turned to see Ventress standing with her arm outstretched, two fingers extended. A moment later, Opress drove one of the blades of his lightstaff through the Sith's chest.

"NO!" Ahsoka screamed. She pulled her lightsabre to herself and force pushed Opress away from Ventress. The Togruta rushed to her friend's side and stood protectively over the woman that had almost murdered her. Opress seemed to finally take stock of the situation and fled, not caring if his battle droids followed along.

Ahsoka extinguished her lightsabre and dropped to her knees, pulling Ventress into her arms. "Asajj? Asajj!"

Venress offered the Togruta a weak smile, her teeth outlined with blood. "At least one of us will be going home." And with that, Ventress took her last breath. At first Ahsoka simply couldn't react, and then the other shoe dropped. She pulled Ventress' body close, sobbing uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, several clone troopers cautiously approached, not knowing what to make of the scene. "Is that who I think it is?" one trooper asked.

"Yeah, but I thought she was dead." Another answered.

"Why she so upset? And what's she doing here with the Seppies?"

Ahsoka finally registered the clones' presence when several of them gathered around her and their sergeant spoke. "Commander Ahsoka Tano," the Togruta looked up at them with tear stained eyes, "you're gonna have to come with us." Then he kicked her in the face and the world went dark.

#*#*#

Author's note; Obi-Wan's story about the cannibals is based on a real incident that happened during the First World War.

If you'll recall, back in the first chapter Ahsoka had a black eye.


	10. Back To Garthim VI

Author's note; I know it's been far too long since I updated this, or any of my stories, sorry. I recently started college, so I've been either too busy or too tired to write. However, I noticed I had around half a chapter written, so I decided to post it as an interlude, just to show I haven't forgotten about this story.

Interlude; Back to Garthim VI

Jedi War Room

Ahsoka stood next to her master and Obi-Wan, attempting to listen as they and the other masters, some in hologram some in the flesh, discussed matters. Since her conversation with Obi-Wan, the young Togruta had been uneasy whenever Anakin was around. She simply couldn't make sense of the situation, or figure a way to handle it. Ahsoka was brought back to the conversation at hand, however, when Obi-Wan spoke.

"The two most immediate threats to address are Grievous rampaging through the Murder System and Opress, still holding out against Master Secura's forces on Garthim VI."

_Opress_, Ahsoka suddenly didn't need much effort to concentrate.

"The most obvious course of action is to reinforce General Secura and send someone to deal with Grievous." Windu said, "The question is who do we send and where?"

"The only available forces are the 501st Legion and Master Shaak Ti's forces," Obi-Wan said, "Everything else is either needed where they are, en route to other destinations, too far away, or on leave."

"I wouldn't mind going toe to toe with Grievous," Anakin spoke up

"With respect, masters," Ahsoka said, stepping forward. "I believe Master Shaak Ti should be sent after Grievous."

"What makes you say that, Snips?" Anakin asked

Ahsoka thought of what Ventress had told her about Grievous' affection for the older Togruta, but she doubted that or her desire for revenge on Opress would suffice. But there was more than one way to kill a senator. "With my experience on Garthim, I think the 501st would be more useful there." Ahsoka calmly explained.

"The padawan makes sense," Shaak Ti agreed, "and I have no objection to facing Grievous."

"It's settled then," Windu said with finality, "Obi-Wan and Skywalker will reinforce General Secura, and Shaak Ti will hold Grievous' rampage. May the Force be with us all."

As everyone filled out, Ahsoka took one more glance at the holoimage of Ventress' killer. _Opress, I come for you._

#*#*#

"You're going back to Garthim?" Barriss asked with concern.

"Don't worry; I'll be back a lot sooner this time." _Just as soon as I kill Opress_, Ahsoka was inspecting her lightsaber, her back to her lover. She stopped however, when she felt Barriss' arms wrap around her shoulders.

"Just be careful, I can't lose you again." Barriss said, resting her head on the Togruta's shoulder. Ahsoka's lightsaber slipped from her hand.

In her mind's eye, Ahsoka saw her entire relationship with the Mirialian. Geonosis, the brain worms, recovering together, all the nervous cryptic conversations they'd had, the day they finally embraced their feelings, and finally, their last night together before Ahsoka left for Garthim. Then she saw herself with Ventress.

"Something wrong?" Barriss asked when she suddenly felt pain and guilt resonating from Ahsoka.

Ahsoka gently freed herself from Barriss' embrace and turned to face her Mirialian. The young Togruta took a breath before she spoke, "No more lies, Barriss. I thought I was gonna stuck on that rock the rest of my life. I thought I'd never see you, or Anakin, or anyone again…and I accepted it. After a while, Ventress became more than a companion or friend. I…I loved her."

Before either girl could say anything further, there was a knock at the door and they could hear Anakin's slightly muffled voice. "Snips, we've gotta go now."

"Coming Master," Ahsoka called back. After force pulling her lightsaber to herself and clipping it to her belt, Ahsoka took Barriss' hands in her own and locked eyes with her lover. "I never stopped loving you, Barriss, and I am coming back soon."


End file.
